


Thawing

by TriDogMom



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Co-workers, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 18:21:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23881495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriDogMom/pseuds/TriDogMom
Summary: Hermione volunteers to take Lucius on as an assistant after he's released from Azkaban.
Relationships: Hermione Granger/Lucius Malfoy
Comments: 42
Kudos: 245
Collections: Strictly Lumione Thawing Ice Fest





	Thawing

**Author's Note:**

> 10,000 thanks to PotionChemist for her amazing beta skills ♥️♥️

_ “Did you hear? They’re looking for a Muggleborn to volunteer to take Lucius Malfoy on as their assistant.” _

_ “Now that he’s out of Azkaban, they want him to work for a Muggleborn so he can learn to tolerate them or something like that.” _

_ “It’s too bad I’m a half-blood. Now that he’s single, I wouldn’t mind him working  _ under  _ me.” _

“Mr Jones?” Hermione asked. “What were those women talking about?” 

Hermione had just graduated from Hogwarts two weeks ago. After the war, she had turned down Kingsley’s offer of a job and instead went back to school to finish her final year. Her NEWT scores wouldn’t be released for another two weeks, but she had been hired on at the Ministry with the knowledge that if her scores weren’t high enough, she could be let go. 

Deciding what department to work for had been a challenge for Hermione. She had received offers from every department head as well as multiple private companies. In the end, she decided that she still wanted to focus on S.P.E.W. and the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was where she could do the most good. 

She was following her new boss, Mr Jones, to her office when she overheard the two women gossiping about Lucius Malfoy and the next part of his sentencing. For his actions in the war, Lucius had been sent to Azkaban for one year, and then had to perform six months community service when he was released. In exchange for his light sentence, Lucius told the Ministry everything he knew about Voldemort's followers and their actions in the war. 

“Lucius Malfoy was released from Azkaban this week,” Mr Jones explained. “For his community service, he was mandated to work under a Muggleborn for six months. Kingsley’s hope is that he can learn how to live and work in harmony with them. They announced it yesterday, but no one has come forward to volunteer yet.”

Hermione thought about what that would mean to Lucius Malfoy. Proud, rich pureblood reduced to a menial office worker, fetching tea and doing the filing. The thought of Lucius Malfoy working  _ for _ her and helping to give house-elves rights sounded like the best present in the world. 

“I’ll do it,” Hermione said firmly.

“You’ll volunteer to work directly with Lucius Malfoy?” Mr Jones asked incredulously. “You know he’ll be in your office every day?”

“I can handle Lucius Malfoy, Mr Jones. He didn’t scare me when I was twelve, and he doesn’t scare me now.”

“Well then. Let’s put your things in your new office and then we can head up to speak with Minister Shacklebolt.” 

Hermione’s office was larger than she expected for someone straight out of Hogwarts. Even though she logically knew she was four floors below ground, it was hard to wrap her head around that fact when her office sported two floor to ceiling windows that displayed a view from the top of Millbank Tower in Westminster. Putting a second desk in here for Mr Malfoy wouldn’t even make it crowded. 

“Isn’t this a bit large?” Hermione asked. 

One thing she did not want was to be given special treatment because of who she was. Being friends with Harry for so long, she was more than aware of the kind of resentment that attention could bring. She didn’t want to start off on the wrong foot with her colleagues. 

“It is larger than some of the other offices, but it was empty, and we wanted you to have it,” Mr Jones answered. “Plus, you’ll have two desks in here.”

“I don’t need a larger office. I can move to a smaller one. We can put Mr. Malfoy at a desk outside of my office with the rest of the assistants.”

“The staff talked about it, and we were all so excited you chose to come to Creatures that we arranged someone from the Charms Department to create your office.” Hermione went to interrupt him, but Mr Jones continued. “I know you don’t want special treatment, but you coming to this department has been a big morale booster. It isn’t often we get any press or donations. Since The Daily Prophet published that you were joining us, our donations have increased over one thousand percent.

“And anyone that would have complained about the larger office won’t now that you’ll have Lucius Malfoy working for you. I know the other assistants won’t want him in the bullpen.”

“As long as you’re sure,” Hermione conceded. “The Charms Department did a wonderful job on these windows.”

“They really did,” Mr Jones agreed. “Are you ready to go see Minister Shacklebolt?”

  
  


XXXXXX

  
  
  


“Hermione, are you sure?” Kingsley asked her. 

Mr Jones had escorted Hermione to the Minister’s office before leaving to go back to his own office. Hermione had spent a few minutes catching up with Kingsley’s new assistant, Percy Weasley, before heading in to talk to the Minister. 

“What’s the worst he can do to me?” Hermione asked. “If he does anything that is inappropriate, he’ll go right back to Azkaban. And I don’t think he’ll do more than bitch and complain when I ask him to file things for me. Plus, watching him suffer will be fun.”

“He’ll have his wand, but you’re probably right. He’s worked so hard to get out of Azkaban that I doubt he’ll risk it.”

“When he’s working with me, he won’t be using his wand.”

“Hermione—”

“If he wants to learn to be more tolerant of Muggleborns, he can spend six months at work doing things the way I had to do them for the first eleven years of my life — the Muggle way. As Fred Weasley once said, it’s ‘character-building stuff’.”

“You two are going to bring down the entire Ministry, aren’t you?” Kingsley teased. 

“Probably.” Hermione smirked. “When does he start?”

“I’ll have him come in tomorrow. Can we meet at two?”

“Sounds perfect, Kings. I’ll see you then.”

Hermione made her way back to her office and couldn’t help smiling about how fun the next six weeks were going to be. Lucius Malfoy was about to learn what it was like to be at the mercy of Hermione Granger. 

And she couldn’t wait.

XXXXXX

Hermione glanced at the clock in her office. It was just after lunch and she had ten minutes until she needed to be in Kingsley’s office but figured she might as well leave now. Yesterday, she had found out it took her forever to walk through the Ministry because people she had never met wanted to stop and talk to her. She had briefly considered the pros and cons of either Disillusioning herself or wearing a sign that said ‘Yes, I’m Hermione Granger. Yes, I fought in the war. No, I don’t want to hear about how you did or didn’t.’ but had decided both might come off as rude.

Percy had waved her into Kingsley’s office and she was about to walk through the door when Lucius’ drawling voice carried out to her. 

“Who is it that I have been assigned to, Minister?” Lucius asked. 

“Someone who is very much looking forward to working with you,” Kingsley answered, then smiled at Hermione as she walked in. “And here she is now.”   
  
Lucius turned, a smile on his face as he rose to greet her. She could tell the exact moment he realised who she was because his smile changed to a sneer and he sat back down. 

“Her?” Lucius snarled. “You expect  _ me _ to work for  _ her _ ?”

“What better person to teach you to be tolerant of Muggleborns than the most famous one?” Kinsgley asked, and Hermione could see he was fully enjoying himself. “Plus, Miss Granger volunteered.” 

“You volunteered?” Lucius’ shock was clear. 

“Hello, Mr Malfoy,” Hermione greeted him, walking forward with her hand extended. “I’m looking forward to having you as my assistant for the next six months.”

Lucius looked at her outstretched hand but did not take it. He turned back to Kingsley. “Please, Minister. There has to be someone else. She’s the same age as my son! It’s preposterous!”

“Sorry, Lucius. Hermione was the only one that volunteered. You  _ will  _ work for her.” Kingsley gave him a hard look. “And for the next six months, she will be your superior and will report to me directly on your behavior. Remember that it is her judgement of your actions that determines if you stay out of Azkaban or not.”

_ Lucius Malfoy’s superior… I like the sound of that.  _ Hermione bit back the giggles that threatened to escape as she imagined herself clad in leather, Lucius kneeling before her as she slapped a paddle in her hand to intimidate him. 

“If you’re ready, sir,” Hermione addressed Lucius. “We have a lot to get done today.”

XXXXX

“What do you mean I can’t use my wand?” Lucius gasped as they made their way from the Minister’s office to hers. Hermione had just told him all of his work had to be done the Muggle way. “I’m a wizard.”

“I know you are.” Hermione forced herself to not roll her eyes at his whining. He sounded so much like Draco had before the war. “But the point of your community service is to gain appreciation and tolerance for Muggleborns and, therefore, Muggles.”

“Not using my wand isn’t going to help with that,” Lucius protested.

“I want you to understand what it’s like for Muggleborns. We don’t know about magic until we’re eleven and have to do everything manually. Our families and friends still need to do things manually. Now that you’ll see how long things take, you’ll appreciate what they have to go through.” 

“But you didn’t know what you were missing! I will.”

“Which is why it will be such a good lesson for you.” Hermione led him into her office. 

She had set up her office so that when you walked in, her desk was on the right, her back to one of the windowless walls. She was a little uncomfortable that the set up left her side exposed if someone were to open the door, but she didn’t want to have the large windows behind her. What was the point of an office with a great view if she put it behind her? To ease her mind, she had placed a ward on the door that read the intentions of the person knocking. At least she’d know and could be ready when they came in. 

She had also placed a small table and chairs in front of the windows for when she had meetings and so she or Lucius could enjoy tea away from their desks. Now that she was showing him the office, she wasn’t sure it had been the best idea to help him; she still wanted to hex him when she looked at him. 

Hermione had placed Lucius' desk in a similar position on the other side of the room. To give them each a sense of privacy, she had conjured glass walls to enclose three of the four sides around his desk. She had thought about putting cubicle walls around him so they couldn’t see each other at all, but felt it would be rude to block the view from him as well. 

“This is your desk. There is a button here.” Hermione pointed to a small black button on the side of the opening of the glass wall. “If you press this, the glass will turn opaque. I would prefer this is only done when I need privacy or during your lunch time if you choose to spend it in here.”

“I thought I was supposed to work without magic,” Lucius sneered. “Are you telling me Muggles have magic buttons that give them privacy?”

“If you’re going to be an arse, I’m happy to take it away. And yes, Muggles do have things called blinds, and with a touch of a button, or pull of a string, they cover the windows, giving them privacy.”

“What tasks will I be performing today?” Lucius asked. 

“After you’re settled, I have some files that need to be duplicated and then returned to the archives. In the Muggle world, they have machines that copy things for them, but since the Ministry doesn’t have any, you may use your wand for that. 

“At four I have a meeting with Mr Jones, the head of the department. I will need you to take notes and start working on my daily calendar. After that, you are free to go home.”

Hermione moved to her desk and pretended not to watch Lucius as he got settled in his new area. She was surprised when he pulled off his outer robes, hanging them up on the coat rack where she kept hers. She had never seen him without robes, and the sight of him in a dark blue button up and black trousers was shocking. He was much less intimidating dressed so casually.

When Hermione was halfway through reading a report on house-elf rights, there was a knock on her door. Feeling that the intentions of the person were friendly, Hermione waved her wand and allowed the visitor in, rising to greet them. Her face broke into a huge grin as Harry walked into her office. 

“Harry,” she greeted him with a smile and a quick hug. “What are you doing down on the fourth floor?”

“Came to see how you’re settling in,” Harry said, looking out her windows. “You have one posh office, Mi. Padma Patil works in Charms and was going on about how much your new coworkers begged for them to create it for you.”

"They did a great job!"

"I think I know where I'll be taking my lunch from now on."

“Miss Granger, must I be subjected to your overly enthusiastic friends?” Lucius called from his desk.

“Good Godric on a goat!” Harry exclaimed. “I didn’t notice he was already here. I’m heading out on an assignment for the rest of the day. Let’s get dinner soon.”

“Sounds good, Harry.” Hermione walked him to the door before turning to Lucius. “Mr Malfoy, as long as you’re in my office, you will be respectful. I don’t anticipate having my friends come see me often, but when they do, I expect you to be nice, or be silent.”

“And will you give me the same courtesy when my son comes to visit me?” Lucius asked. 

“Of course I will. Besides, Draco and I worked on some projects together at Hogwarts last year and we get along fine now.”

“You and Draco are friends?”

“As shocking as that may be to you, yes we are.”

  
  


XXXX

Lucius was already in the office and hanging up his robes when Hermione arrived the next day. They greeted each other and she felt Lucius’ eyes on her as she took her tea things out of her beaded handbag, setting them on a low bookshelf beside the table. She smiled to herself as she placed her grandmother’s teapot on the white and purple doily her mother had made her. 

“What is all that for?” Lucius asked.

“For when I want tea…” Hermione trailed off, not sure what Lucius was asking her. “What else would I use it for?”

“Why don’t you just conjure the tea already made?”

“Because it doesn’t taste as good.”   
  


“I am well-versed in high quality food and drink,” Lucius told her. “My conjured tea is exceptional. I doubt you could make anything better the  _ Muggle  _ way.”   
  
“Have you ever  _ had  _ tea that wasn’t conjured?” Hermione asked, not trying to hide the judgmental tone in her voice. 

More than once, she and Harry had this same discussion with Ron, and they learned he had only ever tasted conjured tea. Hermione was sick of magical people thinking that doing things the Muggle way was somehow inferior. 

“No. But I doubt it would taste any different.”

“Well then, let me make you some, and you can decide which is better.”

Lucius watched as Hermione filled her old-fashioned kettle with water from her wand. Hermione had found that conjured water tasted normal, probably because it was simple, but conjured tea tasted flat and weak. Tapping the kettle with a modified warming charm, she set to work getting everything else ready while the water heated to just below a boil. 

To warm the teapot, she added steaming water from her wand, let it sit for a few moments, and then vanished the liquid, leaving it hot and added a couple of scoops of the Earl Grey tea she had picked up from Waitrose yesterday. Pouring the now ready water into her teapot, she set a timer on her wand. 

“How do you take your tea, Mr Malfoy?”

“Black with a splash of milk.”

“Same way I do. Why don’t you conjure two cups for us while my tea steeps and we’ll taste yours first?”

Lucius waved his wand and a cup of tea appeared before her, looking perfect. She sipped it politely, telling him that it  _ was _ pretty good for magical tea. The timer on her wand went off and she stood to add a dash of milk into two clean teacups before pouring the tea from her teapot. Lucius lifted the cup to his lips, and Hermione stopped him.

“You have to wait for it to cool,” she cautioned. 

“Why don’t you just heat the water to a drinkable temperature?” Lucius asked. 

“Different teas require different water temperatures in order to bring out their unique flavour. This one, Earl Grey, is a mix of black tea and bergamot oil. It is more complex than the black tea that you served.”

“Where did you learn this?”

“My grandmother worked at a tea shop after she retired.” Hermione placed her hand on her teacup to test the temperature. “It should be cool enough now.”

Hermione lifted her cup and allowed the mild flavour that reminded her of her childhood to swirl on her tongue. She watched as Lucius picked up his cup and sniffed it like it was a glass of expensive wine. He took a little in his mouth and held it before swallowing. 

“Miss Granger, I stand corrected. This is the best tea I have ever had. The flavour is far more complex and robust than what I’m used to.”

Stopping herself from doing a little victory dance, Hermione smiled. “I’m glad I could show you the error of your ways.”

They sat drinking their tea in silence for a few minutes before Lucius spoke again. “Do you always spend this much time making tea? It is wonderful, but it seems impractical for days when you want multiple cups.”

“I only do this with my first cup of the day,” Hermione explained. “Muggles have tea bags that you can put right into a cup and brew. I bought a few different flavours to leave in the office. When you’re ready for your next cup, I’ll show you.” 

  
  
  


Morning tea with Lucius seemed to have relieved some of the tension in their office. Over the next few weeks, Lucius still complained under his breath when she asked him to file things manually, but the overall mood between them had become a little friendlier. He was impressed with the ease of teabags and had almost gone through her entire box of bold tea.

Hermione ruined the peace between them when she asked Lucius to go through some of the files he’d copied and look for any laws that contributed to the enslavement of house-elves that he thought could be overturned or amended easily. 

“Why would I do that?” Lucius asked. “House-elves like their jobs.”

“And I’m sure they like it when you kick them, too,” Hermione sneered. “I didn’t ask for your personal opinions on the topic.”

“You asked me which laws  _ I _ thought could be overturned. Which means you  _ did _ ask for my opinion. And my opinion is that you’re wasting our time and the Ministry’s money. Let house-elves be.”

“I’m not doing to allow people  _ like you _ to continue to enslave and torture innocent creatures. Creatures that are capable of feeling pain and understand what is going on.”

“I don’t torture house-elves!” Lucius snapped. 

“Oh, so Dobby kicked himself in the arse? Or shut his ears in the oven because he wanted to?” Hermione barked back.

“I don’t have to defend myself to someone  _ like you _ ,” Lucius sneered. “I’m taking my lunch.” Standing up, he slammed the button on his cubical, darkening the glass.

Hermione, knowing that she needed to get away from Lucius  _ Wankstain  _ Malfoy for a bit, decided to go to lunch as well. Instead of heading to the cafe on the Atrium level, she took the Floo to the main entrance and walked into Muggle London. Grabbing a sandwich from Tesco, she made her way to Trafalgar Square to watch the tourists and see how many children would fall into the fountains. 

She was about to walk into her office when she heard voices carrying out from the slightly ajar door.

“Father, why are you fighting with her?” Draco asked. “You know she’s helping you.”

“I’m working for a  _ child _ , Draco,” Lucius said. “She’s your age. And she just doesn’t get how things work in our world.”

“It’s her world too.”

“Not the  _ magical  _ world; you know how I feel about that.”

Hermione’s interest was piqued. She had no idea how Lucius felt about her or Muggleborns in general. He hadn’t said anything degrading towards her, or called her a Mudblood, but he wasn’t exactly friendly. And he had changed to making tea the Muggle way without complaint once he’d tasted the difference. 

“I meant  _ our _ world,” Lucius continued. “Can you imagine trying to run the Manor without house-elves?”

“You sound like an elitist snob, Father,” Draco said, and Hermione had to bite back her snort of amusement. “Instead of getting angry,  _ talk  _ to her. Ask her  _ why _ she’s so passionate about it. She isn’t like Mother. As much as I love her, she was only interested in social standing and shopping. Granger is smart. Almost as smart as I am.”

“I know she’s smart, Draco. Smarter than you. And don’t talk badly about your Mother. Just because she chose to leave England—”

“Leave us, you mean.”

“She didn’t leave you; she left me. And I don’t blame her.”

“Well  _ I _ do,” Draco said and Hermione could almost see the sneer on his face. “I can’t wait until you find a hot, young piece to date. That will show her. She’ll be stuck with old men and you’ll have a tight, young witch bouncing on your cock—”

“Draco!” Lucius cut him off. 

Deciding it was time to break up the disturbing father-son conversation, Hermione knocked on the door before opening it fully. 

“Hello, Draco, Mr Malfoy,” she greeted them. “I hope you had a nice lunch.”

“Granger, my  _ paid _ house-elf, made lunch,” Draco answered her. “It was perfect, as always. Did you eat the swill they call food downstairs?”

“It isn’t swill, Draco. But no, I got takeaway and ate outside.”

“I’d love to catch up, but I gotta get back to work. Be nice, Father. Granger, go easy on him; he’s old and set in his ways. But he’s trying to change.”

As Draco left, Hermione returned to her desk. She almost felt bad that she had eavesdropped on the Malfoys’ conversation, but the information she had overheard was good enough to make her push the guilt away. She was just about to sit down when Lucius spoke. 

“Miss Granger, would you care to join me for tea?”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

Instead of refusing him like she would have five minutes ago, she took Draco’s words to heart. Hermione watched as Lucius made tea the same way she did every morning when they first arrived. She had been ready to take over at any time if he screwed up, but he did it perfectly. After he set the top to steep, he joined her at the small table. 

“I wanted to apologise for my behavior earlier,” Lucius started. “I know I was wrong, but lifelong habits are hard to break.”

“Thank you for apologising,” Hermione said. “I shouldn’t have lost my temper with you, either. And even though I’m still angry about how Dobby was treated, I should have given you the chance to explain yourself.”

“Dobby,” Lucius began before stopping. “I have no excuse for how I treated Dobby or my other elves. He was a difficult elf, but I was taught that they were nothing more than objects to do my bidding and I never questioned if it was right or wrong. It was just what we did. 

“I learned a lot from my experience of living with the Dark Lord and Bellatrix, as well as having my wand taken from me. I learned what it was like to be treated like I was less than. I also saw my house-elves, who had always been loyal and kind to us, be treated to horrors that no human or creature should experience. You have been subjected to Bella’s wand, so I’m sure you can empathise what they went through.

“I haven’t been back in the Manor long, but I  _ am  _ treating my elves better. And I know Draco offered to free them while I was in Azkaban, but only Ginger, his personal elf, took him up on the offer.”

“Thank you for explaining that to me,” Hermione said, summoning a piece of parchment and quill to her. “Why did Ginger accept freedom when the others did not?” 

“Ginger was given to Draco by Narcissa's mother when he was born. Unlike our elves, she is not tied to the Malfoy family and our lands by extension. She is very in tune with Draco and I think she could feel that it was important to him.”

“Do you think it had anything to do with the fact that Draco wasn’t the head of your family?” Hermione asked, her quill moving across the parchment as she took notes. 

“He was the head of the family,” Lucius explained. “If the head of the family is incarcerated, the heir takes over. Once I was released, the power reverted to me.” 

“I just don’t understand why any creature wouldn’t accept freedom.”

“You are looking at them with your human emotions, and they aren’t human. They don’t think like we do.”

“That doesn’t mean they can’t think for themselves,” Hermione retorted harshly. 

“I never said they couldn’t,” Lucius said, keeping his voice calm. “I said they don’t think the same way we do. You see it as slavery, but they see it as having a family they can take care of. It’s the same way a woman who is a homemaker feels about cooking and cleaning for her family.”

“But they are treated horribly and still stay!”

“And so do women who are abused.”   
  
“But we have laws to protect women. We have nothing for house-elves.”

“So maybe instead of focusing on freeing creatures who don’t want it, you focus on creating laws that punish people who abuse them. Give the elves a safe place to come to if they need it, the option to have the bond with their abusive family broken, and be rebonded with a loving family.”

Hermione and Lucius continued their conversation until the bell signaling the end of the workday sounded. She felt that she had made a lot of positive progress just by talking to him about his own elves. They discussed her potentially meeting with some of them and getting their thoughts on things, but they didn’t leave the Manor and she didn’t know if she was ready to go back there.

XXXX

  
  


After their open conversation about house-elves, Hermione started to be nicer to Lucius. She kept replaying the conversation she had overheard in her head. She desperately wanted to ask him how he felt about Muggleborns, but she had not gathered up enough courage yet. Instead they focused on a house-elf protection act. 

One morning, about two months after they started working together, Lucius came into the office carrying a plastic bag from Waitrose. Hermione watched as he walked over to the area she stored the tea and started to unpack it. They had been running low on a few teas and Hermione hadn’t had time to go to the shops to get more. Lucius was taking box after box of tea out of his bag and putting it away. 

“You bought tea? From Waitrose?” Hermione asked, shocked. 

“I did,” Lucius confirmed. “You have been supplying it so I thought it was my turn to pay for it.”

“But how did you know where to go or how to pay for it?”

“I went with Draco. He and Mr Potter are partners in Auror training, and Draco has been getting lessons from him on how to blend in when they are on missions. As for paying for it, I used this.” Lucius pulled a black credit card from his shirt pocket. “Gringotts gave it to me. It’s quite convenient. I swipe this and the money is taken from my vault.”

“I agree. I was surprised there wasn’t an equivalent when I entered the magical world.”

“Hopefully things will change,” Lucius said. “I know the cards are more common in other parts of the world where magical and Muggle people mix more frequently than we do here. It took a lot to convince the goblins here to make me one. It would be nice if it wasn’t so difficult for others.” 

“You want something Muggle to become common in the wizarding world?” Hermione choked out. 

Lucius sighed and moved to tap the kettle with his wand. Once it was boiling, he prepared two mugs of tea using tea bags and placed them on the table. “I think it’s time we talk about a few things, Miss Granger.”

XXXXX

Hermione lay in bed that night and thought about her conversation with Lucius earlier in the day. To say she was shocked at the things he told her was an understatement. Not only did Lucius apologise for everything he had done to her, her friends, and what had happened that day at the Manor, he had talked to her all about his changed views on Muggles and Muggleborns. 

_ “As soon as I heard the Dark Lord had forced the Dark Mark on Draco by threatening and torturing Narcissa, I started to question him,” Lucius told her, fixing her tea the way she liked it and handing it to her. “He was so different after his re-birth, focused only on Mr Potter, and would kill anyone who got in his way, even purebloods. Narcissa wrote to me often in Azkaban about how erratic he was. He held her under the Cruciatus Curse until Draco willingly accepted his task to kill Dumbledore.  _

_ “Everything he said he stood for was to protect the purity of blood, yet he was willing to kill one of the Black sisters, as well as the only heir to one of the oldest pureblood families in Britain. He didn’t even care about blood, I don’t think. He just wanted to rule over everyone.  _

_ “The day he took my wand, I felt like I had died inside. I was still weak from Azkaban and the Dementors so I wasn’t able to perform wandless magic. Narcissa’s wand never worked properly for me, so with the exception of being able to control my house-elves, I was no different than a Muggle.  _

_ “Whilst I had already been questioning him, the main thing to change my mind was actually you.” _

_ “Me?” Hermione asked. “How? When?” _

_ “The day Bellatrix tortured you at my home. I can’t begin to tell you how sorry I am for everything that happened that day. From the acts you suffered at the hands of my crazy sister-in-law to the way I almost called the Dark Lord to us. I won’t try to excuse my actions on that day. I can only explain myself—”  _

_ “You don’t need to, Lucius,” Hermione interrupted him. “I’m sure you had your reasons.” _

_ “I would like to,” Lucius said, the look on his face so earnest that Hermione nodded for him to continue. It was obvious that he needed to get this off his chest. “I was not the best father, but I love Draco more than anything in this world. My only thoughts that day were of how wonderful it would be if the war was over. If Mr Potter were given to the Dark Lord, my son would be free.  _

_ “I know that sounds horrible, and it is. I was willing to sacrifice Mr Potter for Draco. I’m not proud of that fact, but being a parent is something that is hard to explain. You put your child before  _ everyone _. Harry was standing in the way of Draco’s safety so I was excited to hand him over.” _

_ “And how do I come into this?” _

_ “I have seen countless Muggles and Muggleborns tortured. In my youth, I would torture them for fun. It is not something I look back on fondly, but it was the way I was at that time.” _

_ At his words, Hermione felt her stomach roll and sipped her tea to hide the shaking in her hands. She had somehow forgotten the words Voldemort had said to Lucius on the night of his rebirth, even though Harry had told her. How Lucius used to lead the Death Eaters in Muggle-torture. And that he had been the one to levitate the Muggle family at the Quidditch World Cup.  _

_ “But then I saw you, Hermione,” Lucius spoke, pulling her from her thoughts. “A young woman who had been brave enough to stand up to me at twelve, at the end of Bellatrix wand. You can’t imagine the things I have seen happen if a person is on the wrong end of that wand. The minds she had broken in the matter of minutes.  _

_ “But you–you didn’t break. It was later that night, after the Dark Lord had tortured us because of your escape. I had finally fallen asleep before I was awoken by Narcissa. She was having a nightmare, probably reliving the curses she had been subjected to. Her screams… In that moment of semi-awakenness, they sounded exactly like yours had. It was then that I realised Muggle, pureblood, and everything in between, we’re all the same. We’re all human. We scream when tortured, we laugh, we cry, we bleed the same way. _

_ “I knew, beyond any doubt, that what we had been doing, what we had allowed to happen in our home, was wrong. That is why, unlike after the first war, I was willing to admit what I had done and serve my time. I was happy to turn on my  _ brothers _ and see them pay for our crimes.” _

_ “So you no longer feel you are better than Muggles and Muggleborns?” Hermione asked. “You realise we are all equal.” _

_ “Don’t mistake me, my dear. I  _ am _ better than most people in the world, regardless of their blood. I’m richer, smarter, and better looking than the majority of people.” Lucius gave her a wicked smirk. “But I do believe all people should be allowed to live their lives without fear of being killed for who they are.” _

After that, Lucius had gone on to explain that he been going out with Draco to try Muggle restaurants (he hated McDonald’s, but loved a small Chippy they had found in Bath), clothes shopping (he prefered bespoke tailors to department stores), and had gone to the cinema (which was loud but entertaining—even with sticky floors). Hermione had cried tears of laughter when Lucius explained the horrible experience that was Draco taking him to a strip club.

Right before the end of the day, Lucius had asked her if she would be willing to go out to dinner with him in London sometime. He explained that it would be nice to be out with someone who was comfortable with all aspects of the Muggle world, unlike Draco. The idea of seeing Lucius outside of work was a little scary, but Hermione wanted to see how he behaved when he was outside of his comfort zone. Plus, if he would make the effort to be in the Muggle world, she could be uncomfortable for a few hours. 

XXXX

Hermione glanced at the calendar that sat on her desk once more. It seemed like she was looking at it constantly this week. She had a funny habit that had started in primary school; every Friday, a half hour before her day was done, she would change her calendar to the next week. 

When she had flipped it over last Friday, she had been shocked to see that the next week was the last week in November. That meant, not only was she behind on her Christmas shopping, but it was the last week that Lucius would be working for her. November twenty-sixth. She had happily circled the date when she had first volunteered to take him on as her assistant.. 

The first few weeks, she would occasionally count the days until he was out of her office, out of her life. But then things began to change. They had their morning tea, something they still did. They had conversations about how much they had both changed since the war. They had their twice-a-week dinners, either in Muggle London or at Malfoy Manor, Draco joining them on occasion. 

But now, just two more days and she would spend her days in her office, alone. Would Lucius still want to have their dinners? Hermione could admit to herself, even if she wasn’t willing to admit it to anyone else, that she was now crazy for him. Lucius was everything she had wanted in a man, plus sexy as hell. Hermione had thought about telling him, wondered if he thought the same, but refrained. She didn’t want anyone to accuse her of lying on his final report. 

She thought back to their first dinner in Muggle London together and couldn’t hold back her smile. 

_ “What is this?” Lucius whispered to her, looking around as they waited to be shown to their table.  _

_ “A restaurant,” Hermione said nonplussed. “I assume you’ve been to one before.” _

_ “But these look nothing like the places Draco has taken me to. This place looks  _ normal _ and clean.” _

_ “That’s because Spaghetti House  _ is _ normal. What kind of places has Draco been taking you to? You mentioned McDonald’s and that Chippy.” _

_ “Places that were similar. I assumed all Muggle places were the same way.” _

_ “Those are fast food places. Everything is cheap and cooks quickly. Places like this are just like any restaurant in Diagon Alley. Except the food is brought out by waiters, not magic.” _

_ Lucius had thought the cuisine was far superior to the fast food places he had been with Draco, but not as good as the Italian food that he liked when he traveled to Italy. She had teased him for being an elitist and he didn’t disagree with her.  _

_ The next time they had gone out, Draco joined them as Hermione introduced him to the joys of Muggle alcohol. The options for alcohol in the magical world consisted of a few meads, a dozen wines, Butterbeer, one Brandy, and two types of Firewhisky. They had gone to a bar in an old hotel that was famous for their cocktail menu. Lucius and Draco refused to listen to her when she told them Muggle alcohol was much more potent than magical and proceeded to get so far into their cups that Hermione borrowed Lucius' credit card and booked a room for the night to sleep it off.  _

_ She had awoken the next morning, squished between the two men, Draco drooling on her shoulder and a hangover so bad she didn’t even mind that Lucius watched her vomit. He stood at the bathroom door, waved his wand to pull her hair back, and told her to come out when she was ready for breakfast and a hangover potion.  _

_ That was the day she started having feelings for Lucius Malfoy. _

“Good morning, Hermione,” Lucius said as he entered the office, pulling her out of her memories. “How are you today?”

“I…” Hermione hesitated for a moment before telling him the truth. “I’m a little sad, if I’m honest. We only get to work together for two more days. I’ve enjoyed having you here.”

“I have enjoyed working with you far more than I thought I would. But we’ll still see each other. Unless you no longer want to have dinner with me?”

“Of course I do.” Hermione’s heart soared. 

“And we’ll both be at the St Mungo’s charity gala next Saturday.”

“I still need to go shopping for that,” Hermione admitted. “I’ve been putting it off.”

“Why is that?” 

“Because I hate dress robes. I’m much more comfortable in Muggle dresses, but I’m not sure I could wear one.”

Lucius walked over to her, placing his finger below her chin and tipping it up so she was looking at him. 

“Wear what you want, what you’ll feel sexiest in. If you’re confident enough, no one will care that it’s a Muggle dress.”

“But…” Hermione stumbled on her words as the blood rushed from her brain to pool between her thighs. “Where do I find a dress like that?”

“Leave it to me, my dear.” Lucius winked at her before moving to sit at his desk.

_ Well fuck it all to hell… I’m in love with him. _

XXXX 

Hermione stared at the dress hanging up in her closet. It had been delivered to her home the hour before, but she kept coming back to it. Lucius, true to his word, had set her up with an appointment at a bespoke dressmaker in Chelsea. Hermione wasn’t sure if she was happy or mad that Lucius had opened an account for her to charge the dress, shoes and accessories to, telling the shop owner they were not to accept a dime from her. 

The seamstress, Jennifer, had measured her and talked to her for an hour before coming up with a design that Hermione liked on paper. When Jennifer mentioned how gorgeous Lucius was, Hermione was quick to agree and opened up about her feelings to the seamstress. Hermione didn’t think much of it when Jennifer made a comment about Lucius’ walking stick — it was such a part of him that Hermione didn’t even notice it anymore — but looking at her dress, Hermione finally understood. 

Jennifer had made her a black, trumpet style dress that appeared simple except for the halter top neckline. It had a keyhole that plunged deep between her breasts, almost to her belly button. At first glance, the silver rope that wrapped around her neck appeared to be nothing more than that, but when she looked at the back, she was shocked. The rope was a two-headed silver snake that crossed her back twice before the heads, their eyes made from emeralds, attached to the waist. 

Hermione realised this was a statement dress. It was saying more than,  _ I’m Muggleborn and this is our fashion!  _ It was a huge neon sign telling Lucius Malfoy, and anyone else who saw it, that she was mad for him.  _ Well, I wasn’t sorted into Gryffindor for nothing, _ she thought as she pulled a hair and makeup book off her bookshelf and moved into the bathroom. Lavender had given it to her in fifth year, and it was about time she used it. 

XXXXX

Lucius was already seated at the table he had purchased for the evening. Thanks to the work Draco had done to repair the family name while he was imprisoned, it was full of some of the most elite in their society. Harry Potter and Ginny Weasley were across from him, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Andromeda Tonks sat beside them. Draco was walking towards him with Astoria Greengrass on his arm. Once Hermione arrived, their table would be full. He had missed her over the last week. He had sat at home thinking about how he would rather be back in her office not using magic than in his home without her.

“Holy shit,” Harry muttered, louder than polite. 

Lucius followed his gaze and thought Mr Potter had said the correct words after all. Hermione was walking towards them and she was nothing short of breathtaking. Her skin practically glowed against the black of her dress, and Lucius knew he wasn’t the only man thinking that her cleavage looked amazing. She had her hair pulled back and piled on her head in a fancy updo that probably had a name no man would ever remember.

When she reached the table, the men stood, and Harry was the first to greet her. As he hugged her, he turned her around and Lucius was able to see the back of her dress — or lack of a back. Everything was bare except two silver serpents that matched the one on his walking stick. Lucius wasn’t sure if his stick or his cock was currently the harder of the two woods. 

“Good evening, Lucius,” Hermione said, reaching up to kiss his cheek and he held her to him. “You look handsome. I like seeing you in a suit.”

“I thought I would break tradition and wear Muggle attire this year, show everyone that I’ve changed. You look ravishing, my dear. That dress looks like it was made for you.”

“Because it was,” Hermione laughed. “Thank you again. I love it. I’ve missed you this week. The office isn’t the same without you.”

Lucius leaned in and pressed a kiss to her cheek, “I’ve missed you as well.”

The night continued on as most galas do. Good food, boring speeches, silent auctions, and more wine than normal. Lucius had covertly asked Draco to watch what items Hermione bid for and outbid her so he could surprise her later. The desserts and brandy had just been served and Lucius was enjoying a fine Cuban cigar, discussing policy changes with Kingsley when Hermione leaned over to whisper in his ear. A flash of a camera distracted him and he asked her to repeat herself. 

“You no longer work for me,” Hermione said, her lips brushing his ear. “So I was wondering if you wanted to take me to bed tonight.”

Lucius wandlessly vanished his cigar and cast a breath freshening charm on himself before throwing back the rest of the brandy and standing quickly. He bid goodbye to the table and pulled Hermione away before she could say anything to her friends. Summoning their cloaks as they walked by the cloak check, he pulled her into the Floo. Before he yelled out his destination, he growled into her ear. 

“I’ve wanted you for months, witch. I hope you don’t have plans for the next few days because I’m not letting you out of my bed.”

**< Smut>**

They arrived at Malfoy Manor and before Hermione could take more than two steps, Lucius turned on the spot and they appeared in a large bedroom. She had just enough time to notice that his room was the perfect balance of dark wood floors and light furnishings before he pulled her flush against his body and brought his lips to hers. 

His lips were soft and Hermione moaned as Lucius' hand moved down her body and grasped her arse. She opened her  mouth and ran her tongue against the seam of his  lips . He tasted like brandy as she moved her tongue around his. Lucius groaned and tried to tangle a hand in her hair, but was stopped by the charms she had holding it up. 

“Take your hair down,” he begged her. Hermione muttered the counter charm and let out a sigh as her hair tumbled around her shoulders and down her back. “Much better. I like having something to hold on to.”

Reaching for him, Hermione unbuttoned his suit coat before pulling on one side of his bowtie until it hung open around his neck. She pushed his jacket off his shoulders and let it fall to the ground. Lucius ran his hands up and down her sides until he found the hidden zipper and pulled it down. He tried to remove her dress but wouldn’t budge. She smiled before turning around. 

“You have to unhook the neck,” she told him, bringing her hand up and tapping where there was a clasp that blended with the scales of the snake. 

“Did I mention how absolutely beautiful you looked tonight? I loved seeing those snakes caressing your back. I was jealous of them the entire time.” He ran his finger over her skin above and below the crossed snakes as he spoke. 

“When Jennifer was doing my fitting, I  _ may _ have mentioned how sexy you were and that I wouldn’t mind having a dress you’d be taking off me. She designed it to match your walking stick.”

“Is that so?” Lucius reached for the stick that was leaning against the wall and slid the cold metal over her back. “Is my  _ stick _ something you like, Hermione?”

“I’ve seen that one. I was hoping you would show me the other  _ snake _ you have,” she teased him. 

Lucius hands unhooked her dress and he pushed it to the floor. “Fuck me,” he muttered. 

“See something you like?” she asked over her shoulder. 

“What are these?” 

Lucius’ fingers moved over her exposed arse cheeks. “Muggle knickers. This is called a thong. Do you enjoy it?”

“Do I… Muggles are the smartest people on the entire planet to think of something like this,” Lucius said with awe in his voice. She turned around to face him and stood still as his eyes roamed her body. “You are perfection, my dear.”

“Not too bad yourself.” With a wave of Hermione’s hand, the rest of Lucius’ suit was removed from his body and lay in a folded pile on his discarded jacket. “What in the hell are those?”

Hermione stared at Lucius. He was wearing… if she didn’t know any better, she would have called them bloomers. They were long white pants that were baggy from the waist to the tied bands at mid-calf. She had no idea how he hid those below his fitted suit. They had to be charmed. Lucius looked down his body at her question. 

“My pants?” he asked, clearly confused by her question.

“Are you telling me  _ that  _ is what pureblood wizards wear under their robes? They’re huge.”

“And witches. They are charmed to not be visible under clothing. Didn’t your dorm mates wear them?”

“No. They were pureblood, but obsessed with Muggle fashion so maybe that’s why. I have never seen anything like them.”

“What do Muggle men wear?”

Hermione waved her wand and transfigured his pants into a pair of black boxer briefs then moaned at how sexy he looked. The tight material showed off his muscular thighs and the definition of his stomach. 

“So much better,” Hermione told him. 

Lucius looked down at himself before moving through a door behind him. Hermione followed him into the most decadent bathroom she had ever seen. After tonight, she was taking a bath in that tub, whether he wanted to or not. Lucius stood in front of the mirror and twisted his body to see how he looked. She didn’t know what he thought, but Hermione thought his arse looked edible. 

“They’re so comfortable. And… supportive. I like them.”

“And they have the added benefit of  _ not _ turning women off.”

“Are they turning you on?” he asked, looking at her in the mirror.

“Absolutely.”

Lucius turned to her and reached down to pick her up. Wrapping her legs around his waist, Hermione peppered his neck with kisses as he carried her to the bed. She kicked her heels off halfway across the room and sighed as her feet instantly felt relief. Lucius gripped her tighter as he crawled onto the bed and set her down in the middle. His hard cock pressed against her core and she pushed her hips up into him. 

“Eager for it?” he whispered in her ear, running his tongue up the outside. 

“I’ve wanted this since the night we went out tasting Muggle alcohol. I think I’ve waited long enough.”

“I wanted you the moment we stepped into that Italian place. The first night we went out to dinner.”

Lucius kissed her neck before moving down her body. As he kissed her between her breasts, Hermione unwound her legs from his waist. He licked each nipple before kissing his way down to her knickers. At the tap against her hip, Hermione lifted herself up as Lucius pulled her thong off her and tossed it behind him. He stopped, staring at her pussy, and Hermione had the urge to cover herself. 

“Don’t,” Lucius said, placing a hand on hers to still her. “Is this a Muggle thing too?”

“My vagina?” Hermione asked, confused. “I’m pretty sure all human females have them.”

“Not your vagina,” he snapped back. Hermione giggled as Lucius rolled his eyes at her. He ran his fingers over the soft skin of her labia. “The lack of hair.”

“Umm, I guess? I haven’t exactly seen a lot of them in my day, but it is common for Muggles to remove all their pubic hair.”

Lucius placed his hands on her inner thighs and pushed her legs open until she was splayed before him. He leaned down and licked her from opening to clit. “I like it. So much nicer without hair on my tongue.”

Hermione didn’t care if he liked it or not, as long as he kept licking her lick that. He swirled his tongue around her clit before moving down and pushing it inside of her. Planting her feet on the bed, she pushed her hips into his face. Lucius placed one hand on her pelvis and pressed down, holding her in place as he slipped two fingers inside of her. 

“Merlin, you’re tight.”

“It’s been a couple of years,” Hermione admitted. She hadn’t slept with anyone since the Muggle boy in her neighbourhood the summer before they went on the run. “I assume the sex is the same.”

“Depends, do Muggles lick their women until the come all over their faces and then fuck them into the mattress?”

“Only if they’re good at it.”

Lucius crawled back up the bed, keeping his fingers inside and kissed her hard. “I am  _ extremely _ good at it, my dear.” 

“If you’re up here kissing me, then I’m not likely to come on your face, am I?”

“You’re a cheeky thing.”

Lucius moved back down and increased the speed of his fingers as he started to lick and suck on her clit. Hermione moved her feet, putting them against his pants and pushing them off his body. She wanted him inside of her as soon as he made her come. She was so close and could feel the pressure mounting between her legs. Lucius sucked hard and pressed the tips of his fingers against her g-spot, causing Hermione to come instantly. 

She cried out as she came and before she could recover, Lucius had shifted his body and was pushing his cock into her. 

_ Holy mother of Merlin, he’s huge _ . Hermione felt like he was stretching her to the limit in the best way possible. 

“Fuck, you feel amazing,” Hermione choked out as he started to move inside of her. 

“So do you, love. Like you were made for me.”

Lucius continued to thrust in and out of her. Hermione pushed her hips up to meet him every time he pressed in to her. Leaning down, he kissed her neck, biting softly before massaging the tender flesh with his tongue. Because of the way his body was flush against hers, each thrust of his hips rubbed his pubic bone against her clit and she panted with need. 

“I’m so close,” Lucius told her. “Come with me.”

He slipped his hand between them and started to rub her clit. Just as Hermione felt him start to swell inside of her, he pinched the bundle of nerves, and she came. She felt his cock pulsing as he filled her with his seed and he collapsed on top of her. He kissed her gently twice before moving onto his side and bringing her with him. They both groaned at the loss as he slipped out of her. 

“You know,” Hermione began, pausing to yawn. “It took awhile for me to warm up to you.”

“You mean for you to thaw the icy walls you put around me?” Lucius teased her. 

“Maybe. But I’m glad I did… warm up to you.”

“Me too, love.” Lucius kissed her forehead before they both drifted off to sleep. 


End file.
